RDC News: March 2015

New data sets at the RDC:
In the upcoming weeks we will be receiving new data sets and surveys at the McMaster Research Data Centre. Please see the information below. Researchers interested in accessing these data sets are encouraged to submit proposals!

2013 Community Noise and Health Study

There is limited scientific research on the health effects of noise pollution on individuals living in communities that are close to major sources of noise such as airports, railways, traffic, and wind turbines. To address this gap, the Community Noise and Health Study (CNHS) was developed to investigate health effects and indicators in Canadians exposed to such sources of noise. This involved self-reported and objective health measures to determine the prevalence of health effects, as well as the dose response relationships for noise levels. Data collection involved personal interviews on randomly selected subjects ages 18-79 from Southwestern Ontario and Prince Edward Island who lived within 10 kilometres of a wind turbine. The selected sites were determined based on population density near noise sources. Respondents were questioned about their perceptions of outdoor noise sounds, such as from the turbines, traffic, railways, and aircraft. The interviews also included health measurements (e.g. Cortisol levels, blood pressure, sleep monitoring). Researchers interested in health conditions related to noise pollution or environmental factors will find this to be a useful data set.

The RDC will be accepting proposals for work with the CNHS now. For further details please go to the information page on the at the Statistics Canada website: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvev&SDDS=5201

General Social Survey - Social Identity (SI) 2013 - cycle 27

The General Social Survey (GSS) gathers data on social trends and the well-being of Canadians, as well as on specific social policy issues. The GSS on Social Identity (SI) examines the sense of attachment, pride, belonging, and identification of Canadians in their cultural and social environments. The target population was people over the age of 15 living in the ten provinces; the actual number of respondents was 27, 695. The survey asked participants about social networks, civic participation, knowledge of Canadian history and national symbols, shared values, trust in people, and confidence in institutions. Researchers interested in studying social networks, community belonging, and civic pride and participation might find this data set useful.

The RDC will be accepting proposals for work with the GSS - Social Identity cycle 27 now. For further details please go to the information page on the at the Statistics Canada website: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=EetSurvey8tSDDS=5024